| austere |
having only what is needed; very simple or plain. |
| austerity |
a tightened or stringent economy, as when there are high taxes, frozen wages, and shortages of consumer goods. |
| cognizant |
aware; informed (usually followed by "of"). |
| curmudgeon |
an irritable or ill-tempered person. |
| despoil |
to forcefully take belongings or goods from; plunder. |
| guttural |
articulated in the back of the mouth; velar. |
| heterodox |
deviating from an officially approved belief or doctrine, especially in religion. |
| imprimatur |
any official permission or sanction. |
| inadvertent |
not planned or intended; unintentional. |
| modular |
designed with standardized units that may be arranged or connected in a variety of ways. |
| obtrusive |
aggressive and self-assertive, or inclined to be so. |
| panegyric |
a formal speech or piece of writing devoted to publicly praising a person or thing. |
| peroration |
the concluding part of a speech in which there is a summing up of the principal points. |
| stridulate |
to produce a shrill grating, creaking, or chirping sound by rubbing certain parts of the body together, as some insects do. |
| woebegone |
displaying or full of distress. |